Jean Fuller
- Republican
Author
Existing law, the federal Telecommunications Act of 1996, establishes a program of cooperative federalism for the regulation of telecommunications to attain the goal of local competition, while implementing specific, predictable, and sufficient federal and state mechanisms to preserve and advance universal service, consistent with certain universal service principles. The universal service principles include the principle that consumers in all regions of the nation, including low-income consumers and those in rural, insular, and high-cost areas, should have access to telecommunications and information services, including interexchange services and advanced telecommunications and information services, that are reasonably comparable to those services provided in urban areas and that are available at rates that are reasonably comparable to rates charged for similar services in urban areas. Existing law authorizes the Public Utilities Commission to supervise and regulate every public utility in the state, including telephone corporations, and to fix just and reasonable rates and charges for the public utility. Existing law establishes the state's universal service funds, including the California High-Cost Fund-A Administrative Committee Fund (CHCF-A) and the California High-Cost Fund-B Administrative Committee Fund (CHCF-B) , in the State Treasury, and provides that moneys in each of the state's universal service funds are the proceeds of rates and are held in trust for the benefit of ratepayers and to compensate telephone corporations for their costs of providing universal service. Moneys in the funds may only be expended to accomplish specified telecommunications universal service programs, upon appropriation in the annual Budget Act or upon supplemental appropriation. Existing law, until January 1, 2015, requires the commission to develop, implement, and maintain a suitable program to establish a fair and equitable local rate structure aided by universal service rate support to small independent telephone corporations that serve rural areas and are subject to rate-of-return regulation by the commission (the CHCF-A program) . This bill would revise the CHCF-A program to instead require the commission, until January 1, 2015, to exercise its regulatory authority to maintain the CHCF-A program to provide universal rate support to small independent telephone corporations in amounts sufficient to meet the revenue requirements established by the commission through rate-of-return regulation in furtherance of the state's universal service commitment to the continued affordability and widespread availability of safe, reliable, high-quality communications services in rural areas of the state. The bill would specify eligibility requirements for small independent telephone corporations to participate in the CHCF-A program and requirements for the commission in maintaining the program. This bill would require a small independent telephone corporation that receives support from the CHCF-A program to provide information regarding revenues derived from the provision of unregulated internet access service upon request from the commission and would require the commission to treat this information as confidential. Under existing law, a violation of the Public Utilities Act or any order, decision, rule, direction, demand, or requirement of the commission is a crime. Because the provisions of this bill would be a part of the act and because a failure by a small independent telephone corporation that receives support from the CHCF-A program to provide information regarding revenues derived from unregulated internet access service when requested by the commission would be a crime, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program by creating a new crime. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.
Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 729, Statutes of 2012.
Approved by the Governor.
Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 9:45 a.m.
Assembly amendments concurred in. (Ayes 38. Noes 0. Page 5009.) Ordered to engrossing and enrolling.
From committee: That the Assembly amendments be concurred in. (Ayes 8. Noes 0. Page 4987.)
Set for hearing August 29.
From committee: Be re-referred to Com. on E., U. & C. pursuant to Senate Rule 29.10. (Ayes 5. Noes 0. Page 4854.) Re-referred to Com. on E., U. & C.
Re-referred to Com. on RLS. pursuant to Senate Rule 29.10.
In Senate. Concurrence in Assembly amendments pending.
Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 78. Noes 0. Page 6190.) Ordered to the Senate.
Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
Read second time and amended. Ordered to second reading.
From committee: Do pass as amended. (Ayes 17. Noes 0.) (August 16).
Set, first hearing. Referred to APPR. suspense file.
Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
From committee: Do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 12. Noes 0.) (June 18).
From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on U. & C.
From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on U. & C.
Set, first hearing. Hearing canceled at the request of author.
Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 40. Noes 0. Page 906.) Ordered to the Assembly.
In Assembly. Read first time. Held at Desk.
Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
Ordered to special consent calendar.
From committee: Be placed on second reading file pursuant to Senate Rule 28.8.
From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
Set for hearing May 2.
From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 11. Noes 0. Page 542.) (April 5). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on E., U., & C.
Set for hearing April 5.
From printer. May be acted upon on or after March 18.
Introduced. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment. To print.
| Bill Text Versions | Format |
|---|---|
| SB379 | HTML |
| 02/15/11 - Introduced | |
| 03/25/11 - Amended Senate | |
| 04/25/11 - Amended Senate | |
| 05/23/12 - Amended Assembly | |
| 06/12/12 - Amended Assembly | |
| 06/25/12 - Amended Assembly | |
| 08/20/12 - Amended Assembly | |
| 09/05/12 - Enrolled | |
| 09/28/12 - Chaptered |
| Document | Format |
|---|---|
| No related documents. |
Data on Open States is updated periodically throughout the day from the official website of the California State Legislature.
If you notice any inconsistencies with these official sources, feel free to file an issue.